I first picked up this debut translated novel because it had been nominated for the 2017 Man Booker prize and was reviewed on one of Booklist’s podcasts. I was expecting a stunning and gripping short novel, but what I received instead was a two hour Fever Dream of my own.
Reality is obliterated more than blurred in this haunting interchange between a woman named Rachel and a boy who is not her child. Reading this book is so immersive and disorienting that, to me, it cannot be matched. It is best read in its entirety, home alone wrapped in a blanket in the near-dark. Upon finishing you may feel transported and, admittedly, a little confused. Samanta Schweblin is an author not to be underestimated.
READ 2020 Categories: Under 200 Pages (January) & Translated (March) & Horror (October)